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July 6, 2007

"American Musicworks" kicks off summer season

Come and enjoy one of Colonial Williamsburg’s newest and most entertaining museum programs “American Musicworks!” Held every Tuesday and Sunday at 5 p.m. in the Hennage Auditorium in the newly renovated Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, “American Musicworks!” features musical performances by Colonial Williamsburg musicians Dean Shostak, Kelly Kennedy and Stephen Christoff.

The family-oriented program showcases different musical styles, songs and instruments from across the nation and world. Featuring fun songs such as “Pop Goes the Weasel,” a bottle band created by Jamestown Glasshouse is often a highlight of the show. Other favorites among guests include a “Down on the Farm” themed segment, a saw serenade and a musical tribute to American fiddler Davy Crockett.

“History doesn’t have to be boring – we want to educate guests in an entertaining way,” Shostak said about the program.

Fiddles, banjos, dulcimers and other folk instruments, some of which are handmade or shown in the exhibit, “Cross Rhythms: Folk Musical Instruments,” are played to entertain and educate audience members. Various tunes, ranging from Scarborough Faire to Appalachian and Texan fiddle tunes, diversify the musical experience. Prior to the show children have the opportunity to play instruments similar to those used in the show. Throughout the program, guests frequently are invited to join the performers on stage and join in on the action.

“American Musicworks!” will take place during its regular hours through July 31, take a brief break Aug. 1-20 and resume Aug. 21 through go through November. Tickets for the 45-minute program cost $5 and are available at all Colonial Williamsburg ticket locations, including the Museum Store and 1-800-HISTORY. Starting in December, a new installment of the program, “American Christmas Musicworks!” featuring American Christmas favorites will be offered. Tickets for the holiday-themed program will cost $6.

Established in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is the not-for-profit educational institution that preserves and operates the restored 18th-century Revolutionary capital of Virginia as a town-sized living history museum, telling the inspirational stories of
our nation’s founding men and women. Within the restored and reconstructed buildings, historic interpreters, attired as colonial men and women from slaves to shopkeepers to soldiers, relate stories of colonial Virginia society and culture — stories of our journey to become Americans. As Colonial Williamsburg interprets life in the time of the American Revolution for
its guests, it also invites them to interact with history. Williamsburg is located 150 miles south
of Washington, D.C., off Interstate 64. For more information or reservations, call toll-free
1-800-HISTORY or visit Colonial Williamsburg on the Internet at www.ColonialWilliamsburg.com.